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Lisbon is in my opinion one of the most beautiful capitals in the world! It is a port city, just steps from the ocean, with a troubled history (the 1755 earthquake was one of the most dramatic in European history) and with beautiful monuments. I visited Lisbon three times and ran a beautiful half marathon here-I would go back again!
It is possible to take a nice free tour with Civitatis to start discovering Lisbon!
What to see in Lisbon, Day 1 : walking through the miradouros
The first day is devoted to a walk through the narrow streets of Lisbon, passing by its most famous “miradouro”. Indeed, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful things about the Portuguese city are the viewpoints. Starting from Commerce Square, one ascends to the Sè de Lisboa. This cathedral is a mixture of architectural styles: its history has been troubled, having begun in 1150 and ended with the 1755 earthquake. The facade is Romanesque in style and Latin cross. There is no lack of Gothic and Baroque decoration.
Continuing on you reach the first viewpoint: from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia you have a good view of the Tejo. From here continue to the Miradouro da Graça (one could make a detour to the San Jorge Castle before reaching the Miradouro). Graça is home to the Nossa Senora de Graça Convent and is a nice place to relax “with a view”. From Graça it takes little time to get to the third viewpoint, in my opinion the most beautiful in Lisbon: Miradouro da Senhora da Monte offers an entire panorama of Lisbon, with the Tejo River already seemingly distant.
From Senhora da Monte one descends to the lower part of Lisbon (Baixa Chiado) to arrive at the Convento do Carmo. This is a former Carmelite convent and is a symbol of the destruction of the disastrous 1755 earthquake, as it was almost totally destroyed. From the Convento do Carmo you take the Elevador de Santa Julia, which is the fourth view of the tour: from here you can see the area around the Castle. Shortly afterwards you reach Barrio Alto, which is home to the fifth viewpoint: the Miradouro de Alcantara. From here it is nice to follow the tracks of the “Elevador” that leads to Rossio Square. Taking Rua do Augusta, one returns to Praca do Commercio, which is dominated by the Augusta Gate.
This ride, counting the various ups and downs and breaks, takes up almost the entire day.
Best of Lisbon, Day 2 : Belem
The second day in Lisbon starts again from Commerce Square. From here you can take a streetcar to LX Factory. This is a very interesting art center: it was an industrial neighborhood and has been converted into a cultural center. It’s nice to walk through bookstores, libraries, as well as bars and restaurants: the Livraria Ler Devagar is a must-see, with its bicycle and old factories to complement the books.
From LX Factory we continue again by streetcar to the Monastero dos Jeronimos. This Monastery was built to hail the return of Vasco De Gama after the discovery of India: so we are in the early 1500s. It was strongly desired by King Manuel I and has a decidedly opulent interior that houses the tombs of Vasco de Gama, the poet navigator Luís de Camões, and Fernando Pessoa.
From the Monastery you can walk to the Monument of Discoveries: it was inaugurated in 1960 when Portugal was still under Salazar’s dictatorship, and inside it hosts various exhibitions.
The last destination of the day is within walking distance: in fact, a 15-minute walk takes you to Belem Tower, built in the Manueline style between 1515 and 1521. It was built for defensive purposes and it is possible to visit the positions inside: as far as I am concerned, it is fantastic at sunset time! Belem is also famous for its pasteis de Belem: if you don’t find too much queue of course it is recommended to try them in Lisbon’s first pastry shop!
Best of Lisbon, Day 3 : Sintra and Cabo da Roca
The third day is devoted to visiting Sintra. This village is easily accessible from Lisbon from Rossio station: in 45 minutes you can reach Sintra by the Linha de Sintra (green line) with trains every 30 minutes. In Sintra I visited two palaces, the Quinta da Regaleira and the Palacio da Pena (reachable by bus from the village of Sintra, or with a walk of about an hour).
Quinta da Regaleira, built in the early 1900s and designed by architect Manini, houses many lakes, caves, labyrinths, and especially a beautiful well inside. In summary, it is an imaginative construction that combines various styles, with prevalence of the manuelito style.
The Palacio da Pena, on the other hand, was built in 1840 and, like the Quinta, consists of a mix of styles. It looks like a fairy tale palace, given its often decidedly contrasting colors. It is possible to visit its interior, where Baroque, Gothic, Manueline, and Arab styles continue to follow one another beautifully.
The Palacio Nacional is another point of interest in Sintra: its panoramic view as you enter the village is a typical postcard image.
After the beautiful visit to Sintra, you can take bus 403, which takes 45 minutes to Cabo da Roca. This is the westernmost point in all of Western Europe, and it offers a lighthouse and really beautiful viewpoints: definitely worth the detour!
It’s back to Lisbon by bus 403 to Cascais (another town worth a visit, but I’m keeping it on my bucket list) and from there the Linha de Cascais (yellow) to Cais do Sodre.
Best of Lisbon, Day 4 : Alfama, San Jorge Castle, Aquarium….
Lisbon is also beautiful for simply walking around. Other activities that can be mentioned include absolutely the Aquarium and Parque des Nacoes (built for the 1998 Expo), San Jorge Castle, and a more in-depth visit to Alfama. In short, a fourth day in Lisbon is highly recommended!
AFTER THE BEST OF LISBON, YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ….
BEST OF LISBON: TIPS AND TRICKS
- Where to sleep in Lisbon.I would recommend the Lookout Lisbon Hostel, which is located near the Miradouro Alcantara.
- Where to eat in Lisbon. I would recommend Stasha in Barrio Alto, Eurico in Barrio Alto and A Provinciana in the Rossio area.
- Where to drink in Lisbon. So, in 2008, i.e., the year of my first visit to Lisbon, the unquestionably best area for nightlife in Lisbon was Barrio Alto: in 2018, other areas have joined it, such as Cais do Sodre with its pink street. In Barrio Alto “Mojito Company” is a spectacular place! In Lisbon’s lower area, near Rua Augusta, Cerveja Canil stands out with its 32 beers on tap: not to be missed!
- Prices in Lisbon are generally lower than in Italy. With 10 to 15 euros you can generally eat lunch and dinner until you are full, transportation is cheap, and drinking is generally cheaper than in Italy (information dedicated to those who want to indulge in Lisbon’s nightlife: there is still a tradition of XXL cocktails for 5 to 7 euros!).
- From Lisbon you can take a flight to the Azores, which are definitely worth a visit!
